Rollers having synthetic components for toroidal coil winding machines



Sept. 9, 1969 w. A. BERNAU 3,465,977

ROLLERS HAVING SYNTHETIC COMPONENTS FOR TOROIDAL COIL WINDING MACHINES Filed May 5, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. VIM/AM A. BER/VAU BY 7 m m y Sept. 9, 1969 w. A. BERNAU 3,465,977

ROLLERS HAVING SYNTHETIC COMPONENTS FOR TQROIDAL COIL WINDING MACHINES INVENTOR. WILLIAM A. HERA/AU BY 71PM MQ M.

Sept. 9, 1969 w. A. BERNAU 3,465,977

ROLLERS HAVING SYNTHETIC COMPONENTS FOR TOROIDAL COIL WINDING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 5, 1967 A TTORNEYJ United States Patent 3,465,977 ROLLERS HAVING SYNTHETIC COMPONENTS FOR TOROIDAL COIL WINDING MACHINES William A. Bernau, Short Hills, N.J., assiguor to Universal Manufacturing Company, Inc., Irvington, N.J., a

corporation of New Jersey Filed May 5, 1967, Ser. No. 636,506 Int. Cl. B65h 81/02 U.S. Cl. 242--4 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A roller for engagement with a shuttle of a winding machine. The flanged-cylindrical roller is arranged into segmented replaceable portions for rapid interchange of the grooved flange portion thereof made of hard but, resilient synthetic material in rolling contact with the shuttle. The roller is assembled by forcing the resilient portion onto the metallic portion and a jig serves to separate the several portions from each other.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention.The invention relates to winding and reeling apparatus and more particularly rollers used to drive or support shuttles in such apparatus.

Description of the prior art.--In winding and reeling apparatus heretofore, it is known that drive and support rollers of hard material such as steel in rolling frictional engagement with a shuttle carrying strand for winding result in slippage and wear of the surface of either or both the roller and shuttle. Furthermore, precise machining and accurate spacing of the surfaces of the rollers and shuttle are an essential for accurate winding operations, since any deviation from such requirements results in slippage of the roller whereby the shuttle speed deviates from the required winding speeds. Any warping of the shuttle from its plane normal to its axis aggravates wear as well as slippage and speed control. Although such apparatus of the prior art has been operating satisfactorily for many years, it is well known that the costs of manufacturing are increased in order to satisfy these severe requirements. It is a general objective of this invention to overcome these problems by providing a resil ient surface on the roller for a portion of the surfaces in rolling contact with the shuttle.

Summary of the invention.According to the invention, I provide a roller that has a flange of the usual shape but segmented from the cyllindrical portion of the roller for easy replacement. The segmented flange apart from the roller is a ring of relatively hard yet resilient material such as acetal resin extrusion and is formed within a V- groove in the outer periphery. The main portion of the roller of steel or other similar material is a generally cylindrical housing having a central bore for receiving a shaft from the winding machine or arbor of the disassembly jigs. One end of the housing carries an integral flat ring flange which serves as a well for abutting contact with one wall of the resilient flange portion.

The resilient flange is forced on the housing over the end opposite the ring flange. A novel jig is provided for disassembly of the several parts. A modification of the resilient flange includes the provision of a groove at the base of the V-groove for receiving and seating an O-ring of relatively more resilient material and preferably of greater friction coeflicient. The O-ring is arranged to take up the radial stresses of rolling contact with the shuttle thereby relieving the side walls of the resilient flange of excessive wear. The inclined walls of the resilient flange portion, of usual form otherwise, conform to and mate with the peripheral edge of the shuttle. The

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shuttle in rolling engagement with the roller seats flush with the inclined surfaces of the roller and presses against the resilient flange portion.

The arrangement results in the principal friction and support forces being radial through the planes containing the resilient flange therebetween. Accordingly the wear due to the rolling action of the shuttle on the rollers is predominantly of the resilient flange portion. Furthermore, since the forces of rolling drive are on the same resilient surfaces less slippage occurs during the highspeed operation that these machines attain.

Since the flange portions are relatively much less costly than the shuttle and rollers, more frequent replacement of the flange portions and/or O-rings is advantageously a cost-saving in maintaining such machines.

According to the invention, furthermore, there is provided means to disassemble the roller for easy replacement of the flange portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of portions of a toroidal coil winding machine illustrating the rollers; FIG. 2 inserted in the jig of the invention for disassembled roller;

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of the roller as shown in FIG. 2 inserted in the jig of of the invention for disassembling the roller portions;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the relative position of the jig and roller in an intermediate phase of the disassembly operation;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the assembly taken along line 55 of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a modified form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 2.

Description of preferred embodiment.The toroidal coil winding machine selected to illustrate the invention includes an annular shuttle 10 supported by three rollers 12 each having an annular resilient flange 14 nested in an annular groove 16 in each roller 12. Each roller 12 is rotated about its respective shaft 18 attached to the winding machine by the usual means (not shown).

The shuttle 10 is provided with a severance 20 whereby it is opened to permit the removal of a core 22 linked therein. Any form of shuttle may be used including those not having a severance but merely a removable segment so as to separate the whole segment at the splits to receive a core 22 therethrough in linked relation. The core is supported as by clamps 24 suitably connected to the winding machine (not shown).

According to the invention I provide a roller consisting of several separable components several of which are arranged for easy replacement by similar parts for economic purposes owing to wear resulting from the heavyduty-operation machines of this type are subjected to especially the rollers 12.

The roller 12 as seen in FIG. 2 includes a cylindrical hub 30 having an outwardly extending flange 32 integrally formed thereon. The inner diameter of the bore of the hub 30 serves the purpose of receiving in journalled relation the shaft 18 of the winding machine for mounting the roller on the machine. The inner bore of the hub 30 also serves to receive the neck of the arbor 50 (see FIG. 3) of the jig assembly to be described.

A ring 14 is formed with a V-groove 16 and as such is forced fit over the outer surface of the hub 30 for a snug non-rotatable assembly on the hub. As shown in the drawing, one side face of the ring 14 is pressed snugly against the inner face of the flange 32. An annular sleeve 34 is snugly fitted on the outer surface of the hub 30, the inner edge of which is pressed against the other face of the ring flange 14.

A set screw 36 is threadably inserted through the threaded bore 38 in sleeve 34 and pressed against a flat portion of the cylindrical surface of the shaft 18. The aperture 40 in the hub 30 is noticed to be slightly enlarged with respect to the bore 38 so as to allow easy alignment of the two components while the set screw is inserted therethrough.

The roller hub 30 and its flange 32 as well as the sleeve 34 are composed or made of hard durable material such as steel, and the shuttle is also made of similar material, as well known in this art. The ring flange 14 is made of a relatively resistant material preferably having good abrasive and friction properties. Several of the more modern synthetic plastics have been found to be suitable for this purpose. Nylon, as well as Delrin (a trademark of Du Pont) of acetal resin extrusion, have been found to be preferably advantageous. The resin is available in commercial form in rods of diameters comparable to the cross-sectional diameter of the ring 14. The rod is easily fabricated into a ring 14 and then machined suitably to the shape as shown in FIG. 2.

Heretofore, the running engagement of such shuttles with such rollers caused wear by friction of both parts and thereby resulted in slippage of the relative surfaces in running contact as well as displacement of the shuttle relative to the core 22. The wear of either the rollers, or the shuttle or both, results in a displacement of the rolling combination as to effect wobble during the high speeds expected in these machines. I have discovered that the flexible ring 14 reduces the wear of the shuttle 10 as Well as the wear on the slant mating surfaces of the roller in engagement with the surfaces of the shuttle 10 (not shown).

The shape of the groove 16 may be made to receive the mating outer surfaces of the shuttle of the winding machines well known in this art as may be desired. Preferably a portion of the side wall of the groove should be in substantial contact with a mating portion of the side wall of the shuttle. The most inner peripheral portion of the shuttle should, for this form of the invention, be clear and not in contact with the bottom of the groove 16.

In a modification of the invention as shown in FIG. 6, I have modified the flange 14 to provide an additional groove or recess in the base of the groove as indicated by reference numeral 42. In this groove 42 I seat a resilient and highly frictional lining in the form of a ring 44 of flexible material such as rubber, plastic or fiber. The ring 44 when seated in the base of the groove 16 is arranged to be in resilient and compressed contact with the most inner peripheral portion of the shuttle 10. The relationship of the shuttle 10 in running engagement with the roller 12, as shown in FIG. 6, is such that the radial stresses of the running engagement are substantially against the O-ring 44. The side walls of the groove 16 in the ring flange 14, although in contact with the shuttle walls 10 do not function to provide the friction drive of the shuttle and thereby are merely guides of the shuttle. The O-ring 44 may be removed periodically since it will be expected to wear the faster of all the components of the roller. Removal of the O-ring may be facilitated by selecting material of substantial elasticity, although this is not necessary since it is an expendible item when removed after wear.

The ring flange 14, however, is not as easily removed since the fits are very tight. During extended periods of operation that may run for several months, the roller assembly is very diflicult to disassemble. I have developed for the purpose of fast and easy exchange of the flange ring 14 a jig as shown in FIG. 3. The jig comprises a cylindrical housing 52 and an arbor 50. The arbor has a neck portion 54 which fits in the 'bore of the hub 30, the shoulder portion 56 of the arbor resting on the end of the hub 30. Prior to placing the roller in the housing 52 of the jig the set screw 36 is removed, as shown in FIG. 2. In the housing 52 there are provided threaded apertures for receiving three screws 58 having tapered ends nested in the groove 16 of the flange 14.

When the arbor is driven downwardly, as shown by the arrow 62, the neck 54 and the shoulder 56 co-act against the restrained assembly to force the sleeve 34 and the flange 14 in fixed position off the hub 30 as it is driven downwardly into the housing 52. The intermediate phase of the operation of the arbor being inserted in the housing (shown in FIG. 4), and the cross-sectional view of the components along the view line 55, is shown in FIG. 5 for further clarity.

The rollers of this invention are used with winding machines of the type where at least one of the three rollers is a drive roller for driving the shuttle 10. Such a machine is of the type shown and described in US. Patent 3,165,- 273. The rollers of this invention may also be used in winding machines where they serve only to support the shuttle, the shuttle being driven in cooperative relation with a separate ring gear. Such a machine is of the type shown and described in co-pending application Serial Number 441,472, filed March 22, 1965, and assigned to the same assignee, now US. Patent 3,383,059, granted May 14, 1968. It will be appreciated that whether the roller 12 is driven or merely rolling with rotation of a shuttle 10, the cooperation of the ring with a shuttle 10 will reduce wear of both parts.

In addition, shuttles which may be imperfectly formed as by being imperfect from true circular form in its plane normal to the axis of rotation, may still perform satisfactorily in a winding machine provided with rollers of my invention. Since the O-ring and the flexible flange have flexible surfaces the precise relative spacing of the rollers in respect to the shuttle is less stringent since variations in the radius of the shuttle will be followed by expansion and compression of the O-ring as it reacts to the radial variations. Thus the O-ring is in continuous contact with the shuttle even if the shuttle is imperfect and as such would be inoperative in machines heretofore having nonresilient rollers. In the form of the invention without the O-ring (FIG. 2), usually only the side walls of the groove will be engaging the corresponding side walls of the shuttle during the operation of the machine. The wear will be all imposed on the resilient flange whereby the life of the more costly shuttle will be significantly extended.

What I claim is:

1. In a toroidal coil winding machine having a shuttle adapted to be loaded with strand and driven about its axis,

(a) a plurality of supporting rollers in rolling contact with the shuttle,

(h) each of said rollers comprising a cylindrical body portion of hard metal with a central bore for receiving a shaft therein, a flange of hard metal on one end of said roller integrally therewith,

(c) an annular ring on the body portion having an outer diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said flange and mounted flush against said flange, said annular ring is formed of synthetic resin having good abrasive and friction properties,

((1) a cylindrical sleeve of hard metal having an outer diameter less than said annular ring and adapted for a tight-fit over said body portion and for securing said annular ring in place against said flange,

(e) said annular ring having a V-groove formed to mate the inner extension of said shuttle, and

(f) friction lining means in said V-groove of said ring in driving contact with said shuttle.

2. A winding machine according to claim 1 wherein an annular groove is formed in said annular ring at the base of said V-groove, said frictional lining means comprising an O-ring of relatively greater resilience and having good friction property is disposed in said annular groove for rolling engagement with the inner extension of said shuttle, said O-ring being of suflicient size within said annular groove so that the principal friction and support forces between each of said rollers and said shuttle 5 6 are substantially in the planes containing said O-ring there- 2,810,530 10/ 1957 Marsters 242-4 between. 2,973,154 2/ 1961 Blackburn 242-4 3. In a Winding machine according to claim 2, wherein 3,177,733 4/ 1965 Yarnano 74-230] said O-ring is formed of rubber. 3,181,803 4/ 1965 Warburton et a1 242-4 5 3,375,725 4/ 1968 Mathison 74-230] XR References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS BILLY S. TAYLOR, Primary Examiner US. 01. X.R. 1,179,238 4/1916 Swam 74 230.3 XR 2,32 ,671 /1943 Patterson 74-230.? XR 10 2 -271; 742 -3 

